shooting guard J.R. Smith (5) warms up before Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs first round between Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, April 27, 2011 at Oklahoma City Arena in Oklahoma City, OK. Photo by Tim Rasmussen, The Denver Post

Guard J.R. Smith is seriously considering signing with a Chinese professional basketball team. And although he hasn’t signed a contract yet, Smith has been in touch with teams overseas, his agent Leon Rose confirmed Thursday.

One of the Nuggets’ better reserves during the George Karl era, Smith is an unrestricted free agent but is looking to get paid by playing in China during the NBA lockout.

Yahoo Sports reported he’s mulling a $3 million deal to play the 2011-12 season with Shanxi. If Smith plays in China, he would not be able to opt out of his contract and return to the states if the lockout ends.

Another Denver free agent, Wilson Chandler, already has signed to play in China for the season.

Smith’s return to Denver isn’t a sure thing. He often clashed with Karl, and during the playoffs Smith said there was a “strong possibility” he would sign with a new team this summer. He has averaged 13.6 points in five seasons with the Nuggets.

Benjamin Hochman was a sports columnist for The Denver Post until August 2015 before leaving for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his hometown newspaper. Hochman previously worked for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for its Hurricane Katrina coverage. Hochman wrote the Katrina-themed book “Fourth and New Orleans,” published in 2007.

Four assistant basketball coaches at Division I schools and a top Adidas executive were among 10 people charged Tuesday with crimes including bribery and fraud as part of a wide-ranging federal investigation into corruption in college basketball.

CenturyLink, the telecommunications company that ended its sponsorship agreement with Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall because of his protests during the national anthem last year, said it will not terminate its agreement with current client Emmanuel Sanders.